Loui Eriksson was back on the second line for the final two periods Thursday.

By Dan CagenDaily News staff

April 4, 2014
2:26 a.m.

The Bruins are well-trained in knowing that the lineup you enter the playoffs with if often not the one that ends it.

In 2011, their Stanley Cup run ended with third-liner Rich Peverley skating on the top line after Nathan Horton's series-ending concussion. Last spring, it took until just the final game of the first round for Tyler Seguin to be moved off the second line and Jaromir Jagr to be bumped up; Seguin never again regained top-six status in Boston.

That's not to mention the juggling act that was the bottom two lines in the Final once Gregory Campbell was injured, or that Torey Krug wasn't even in the NHL when the postseason started and became a playoff hero.

A ton can and will change in two months of playoff hockey. The Bruins can do their best to prepare for the unexpected in their handful of games remaining in the regular season. Having all but clinched the top spot in the Eastern Conference gives them the flexibility to try things they might otherwise not.

In Thursday's overtime loss in Toronto, coach Claude Julien made a switch in his lineup. Early in the second period with the Bruins down by two goals, right wings Reilly Smith and Loui Eriksson were flipped. Eriksson finished the game next to Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron on the No. 2 line, while Smith took his shifts alongside Jordan Caron and Chris Kelly on the third unit.

Marchand and Bergeron each had a goal and an assist Thursday, although Eriksson didn't figure in either. Eriksson had four attempted shots. Smith had none for the fifth time in nine games, and has just one goal and eight assists in his last 24 games.

Julien has been hesitant to make that switch, although he considered it last month. The Bruins have seen great benefits with the third line constituting of Chris Kelly, Carl Soderberg and Eriksson. They can take advantage of an opponent's third defensive pair while the top two are on Krejci and Patrice Bergeron duty. Julien remembers how big the third line of Michael Ryder, Kelly and Peverley was in the 2011 playoffs.

But on Thursday, that wasn't a concern. The third line lost its motor when Soderberg returned to Boston to be with his pregnant wife as they await the birth of their child. Soderberg has been a beast since being moved to center in January, with 22 points in 26 games. Without his strength and speed, the third line was back to a checking role.

So to bump Eriksson up for two periods wasn’t taking away from the third line chemistry, gave the Bruins some offensive punch, and gave Julien a look at what a Marchand-Bergeron-Eriksson configuration could provide. By the time the final chapter of the Bruins' season is written, it's very possible that could be a full-time line.

Eriksson also changed lines Wednesday when Jarome Iginla was out at Detroit. Eriksson skated with Lucic and Krejci. If something were to happen to any of the wingers on the top two lines, Eriksson — a left-hand shot who can play left and right wing — would be the first candidate to slide up in the lineup. Any experience he can build with new linemates now could be beneficial come May and June.

There could be other tinkering soon. Krejci and Bergeron will certainly get at least one game off each in the final five. That could allow Soderberg to foster a little chemistry alongside some top-six forwards. Remember, Soderberg was the No. 2 center for the second half of Game 5 in Chicago when Bergeron went to the hospital, so his role could increase as well in the postseason.

Although Smith has played better lately after a tough stretch immediately after the Olympics — Smith and Julien noted to WEEI.com that Smith was dealing with an illness that led to weight loss a month ago — the position of No. 2 right wing demands offense. Smith certainly provides far more in defensive responsibility and strong work along the boards than Seguin, but he could suffer the same fate as his predecessor did in last season's playoffs and be dropped to a bottom-six role if he doesn't contribute anything offensively.

As nice as the luxury of having Eriksson as a third-liner is, it's just that — a luxury, provided only by having a top-six group that's churning. If Smith doesn't have it going, would it make sense to give him top-six minutes and shackle an Olympian to the third line?

When general manager Peter Chiarelli acquired Smith and Eriksson in the Seguin trade last season, he did it with specific roles in mind for both of his new wingers. Eriksson was pigeonholed as Bergeron’s new right wing, and Smith was the frontrunner to land a job on the third line. Those roles haven't been seen since Eriksson was concussed Dec. 7 by Brooks Orpik. Things change over the course of the season, and Smith earned his place on the second line when Eriksson was absent.

But Smith is also a 23-year-old in his first full season in the NHL. Someone asked in the Boston dressing room recently what the difference between regular season and playoff hockey is, and Smith chimed in that he wouldn’t know. All 117 of his career NHL games have come in the regular season. There’s no guarantee he’ll handle the playoff pressure the way the Bruins need of a top-six two-way winger.

It’s fine to give Smith the chance to break through his slump while playing on the second line. But there’s nothing wrong with preparing for those unexpected changes in the playoffs now.